Black mesh fabric with large holes? - fishnet sewing

I love the net shirt worn by this woman, and I'd like to have a dress made of the same fabric. But the search terms are eluding me -- various permutations of "fishnet" only get me lost in a sea of lingerie, and while I suspect this is more of a "mesh" anyway, "mesh" is an even more Googleproof term. This looks sort of right, but the holes seem small, standard fishnet-scale. Is this just something I'd have to go to a Japanese vintage store to find? Or is it a common enough fabric (perhaps usually seen in another context from this) and I just need to know the right words?

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Powernet and Power Mesh Fabric

Having recently finally finished my Willowdale bra, I thought it would be fun to talk about those fabrics that help shape and sculpt our bodies. They go by various names depending on which part of the world you live in. You may have heard of the terms stretch mesh, powermesh, or powernet.

Learning more about these fabrics gives us more options to improve the fit and comfort of our garments, and allows us to get creative with our makes in terms of how we incorporate some of their unique features. So what exactly are they, what are the differences, and when and how can you use them?

Powernet Fabric

With an open mesh-like knit, powernet is denser and more tightly woven than many other stretch fabrics like power mesh. This tight, sturdy knit gives it a distinctive feel and appearance.

One of the key features of powernet is its ability to provide significant support and compression. The fabric's firmness and elasticity make it ideal for areas in garments where more control and shaping are required.

Powernet is frequently used in the construction of lingerie, shapewear, sports bras, and performance wear. It's especially useful in garments that demand a higher level of support or compression, like the bands of bras or the control panels in shapewear.

Despite its firmness, powernet is still breathable due to its mesh structure. This makes it comfortable to wear, even in snug-fitting garments.

The fabric is known for its durability and strength. It maintains its shape and support over time, even with regular wear and washing.

While providing support, powernet also allows for a degree of flexibility and movement, making it a practical choice for garments that are both functional and comfortable.

Powernet comes in various weights and levels of compression, allowing sewists and designers to choose the appropriate type for their specific project needs.

Stretch/Power Mesh Fabric

Like powernet, it is breathable and moisture-wicking but it tends to have better drape and is less structured.

It also has a looser knitted construction so has a greater amount of stretch than powernet. This means that it doesn't provide the compression of powernet, but it is great for providing a smooth feel especially when used as a lining.

Having recently finally finished my Willowdale bra, I thought it would be fun to talk about those fabrics that help shape and sculpt our bodies. They go by various names depending on which part of the world you live in. You may have heard of the terms stretch mesh, powermesh or powernet.

I first came across powernet when I bought my first pair of hold-me-in pants many years ago. I am partial to a bit of sculpting and shaping around my midriff and the fabrics in these garments have an amazing compression quality.

But my first experience actually sewing with these fabrics, was sewing with powernet as part of a bra making project a few years ago and then again a couple of months ago, quite a big gap in between mainly because I didn’t really feel confident in buying or using powernet and so I decided I needed to find out more.

What is powernet & stretch/power mesh fabric?

Powernet fabric

Powernet is made from a blend of synthetic fibres, typically including nylon and elastane (or spandex). This combination creates a fabric that is both strong and elastic.

With an open mesh-like knit, powernet is denser and more tightly woven than many other stretch fabrics like power mesh. This tight, sturdy knit gives it a distinctive feel and appearance.

One of the key features of powernet is its ability to provide significant support and compression. The fabric's firmness and elasticity make it ideal for areas in garments where more control and shaping are required.

Powernet is frequently used in the construction of lingerie, shapewear, sports bras, and performance wear. It's especially useful in garments that demand a higher level of support or compression, like the bands of bras or the control panels in shapewear.

Despite its firmness, powernet is still breathable due to its mesh structure. This makes it comfortable to wear, even in snug-fitting garments.

The fabric is known for its durability and strength. It maintains its shape and support over time, even with regular wear and washing.

While providing support, powernet also allows for a degree of flexibility and movement, making it a practical choice for garments that are both functional and comfortable.

Powernet comes in various weights and levels of compression, allowing sewists and designers to choose the appropriate type for their specific project needs.

Stretch/power mesh fabric

Stretch/power mesh is often used as a lining and has a lighter structure than powernet. It is ideal for lighter support bras and bralettes.

Like powernet it is breathable and moisture-wicking but it tends to have better drape and is less structured.

It also has a looser knitted construction so has a greater amount of stretch than powernet. This means that it doesn't provide the compression of powernet but it is great for providing a smooth feel especially when used as a lining.

How is it made?

Powermesh fabric is created through a unique manufacturing process that involves both the fibres used and the way it's knitted.

Weft Knitting vs Warp Knitting

Nylon provides strength and durability, while spandex offers the essential stretch and recovery properties that make these fabrics so versatile.

It's made using a warp knitting technique. In warp knitting, the yarns run lengthwise (or vertically) along the fabric. This is different from the more common weft knitting that you may know from hand knitting, where the yarns run across the width of the fabric and is done on a knitting machine.

Warp knitting results in a fabric that typically has less stretch horizontally but has more stretch vertically, which is perfect for applications where you want the fabric to provide support and shaping.

As the name suggests, they have a mesh-like structure. This is achieved through the specific arrangement of the yarns during the knitting process. The mesh structure is not only essential for the fabric's stretch and support qualities but also makes it breathable.

After knitting, powermesh goes through various finishing processes. This can include dyeing to add color, as well as treatments to enhance its properties, like making it softer, more resistant to chlorine (for swimwear), or adding moisture-wicking capabilities (for sportswear).

Finally, the fabric undergoes rigorous quality control to ensure it meets the necessary standards of stretch, recovery, and durability.

What are the limitations of powernet and power mesh?

• There is such a variety of weights, compositions and structures out there it can be hard to find one with the properties that you want or need. I'll share some tips on choosing and buying shortly.
• These fabrics are often semi transparent so if you want to use it in areas that need more coverage then that might limit its use without layering or lining it with other fabrics.
• In the case of stretch or power mesh, it's more drapey so not the best choice for garments where you are looking for more structure or rigidity.
• On the flip side powernet is more structured so not the best choice for garments where you require more drape.

• In terms of working with them, both of them are knitted fabrics with some stretch so if you haven't worked with those types of fabrics before then that can take a bit of getting used to - see the tips on working with these fabrics below.

• And in terms of caring for them they are both made from synthetic fabrics so need careful laundering to maintain their elasticity and shape over time.

Goto Qicai to know more.

And one final point about sustainability. Synthetic fibres are non-biodegradable and do require energy intensive production processes. As mentioned before they can also cause irritation for those with sensitive skin.

To mitigate the impact of this be mindful when you buy and use them to minimise any waste. To help with that, be sure to order samples first before you end up with a fabric that isn't what you expected.

Some manufacturers are also making fabrics using recycled polyester which helps reduce waste and energy consumption so look out for those too.

What can you make with powernet and power mesh fabric?

These fabrics are best known for making lingerie and swimwear. You may also have seen them in sportswear. But they don't need to be limited to those garments.

They can be used in sports and dancewear, so if you have put 'be more active' on your new year’s resolution list then you could use them to add both breathable panels often seen in leggings and wickable linings.

Did you know that they can also be used with dress patterns to create sheer panels.

Or the stretch/power mesh can be used as a lightweight lining.

It also works well for illusion necklines and sleeves